In The Cat Cave: Hello Monday: Stories + Photos

What is Week in the Life?:// Week In the Life is a project created by Ali Edwards where by you document a snapshot in time. Capturing mundane details of your everyday and perhaps your not so mundane moments. This is my story and my photos for #weekinthelife2017. To see my #weekinthelife2016 stories and photos you can check out it here: #weekinthelife2016 and #weekinthelife2015

Waking up to a drab and dreary Monday is never a great start to a week.

It's Easter Monday and there's still snow on the ground. But it's the gross kind of snow where the top layer is dirt. All the garbage is now lined up around the bottom of the melted ice. Spring is kind of yucky here. But I promised myself to move more. So at 6:55am I dragged myself out of bed and took my 9 year old golden retriever around the neighbourhood for a walk.

It was bitter. A balmy 1 degree Celsius. I almost turned around when I started to walk into the cold windy rain.

All that for 2700 steps. Piff.

I'll have to move faster next time.

When I returned into the house I heard the sounds of the Bop It game that my daughter had received for Easter. The two kids would be staying home today and the rest of the week because it's a 'Spring Break' in Newfoundland. "Some Spring", I shutter. Not to worry though - I asked the Magic 8 Ball yesterday if the snow would be gone by Friday... and well, "sources say yes".

With Jack the Sloth still in bed, I was ready to tackle my work morning by 8am. I had to go to my parents' home office, the bank, a supplier and the local office supplies store right away. Professional Beauty is one of our suppliers and a Starbucks is right across the street. The line was too long this morning so I popped inside. That was a great call. Something about the atmosphere in Starbucks gets me every time. I always wonder what those particular people are doing there and what they are studying for. I saw a gorgeous floral water coloured travel mug and fought off the urge to buy it. However, I came away with a 10 dollar gift card - purchased for no other reason but because I loved the floral pattern with the gold foil planted on it.

With coffee in hand, I made it through my work morning. My plan was to plan. To get myself back on track but like most days, it only took one phone call before I was a whirling dirvish trying to get salon products out the door for a location that hadn't received their monthly supplies.

At lunch time, I told my husband I'd be home at 12. Soon it was 2 o'clock and I still hadn't eaten or been home.

Every. Time. It happens every time.

I always get caught up with the noise of work. I have to remember to pull away. It's hard though as my parents are semi-retired and in Florida. I am second generation to own a dozen local hair salons. It's a small company with 120 employees in twelve locations but quite franky, it's a lot of work so sometimes it simply doesn't feel too small.

At home, Nan Woodman's left over Easter turkey dinner was waiting for me. While I re-heated a carefully selected plate I noticed the Fedex box that had arrived. It was the new arrivals from the 2017-18 Stampin' Up! catalog. Exciting stuff. Miss Jane torn into that like a wild banshee describing every item as she pulled it from the box. Yeah. She may not look like me but I can assure you... she's me.

And then the phone rang again as employees were looking for product skus numbers. Forgetting how to do that I face timed my parents for a tutorial and worked until about 7pm at the kitchen table.

Jane and Ryan had gone to a movie, Boss Baby. However, Jack has made the decision that he doesn't like movies at all. "Too scary", he said. We stayed home and made a pita pizza for supper. When Jane arrived home around 8pm I didn't see her come in. She went straight into her room. Ryan explained that she was mad because she hadn't gotten a treat or a reward for helping bring salon supplies into a store.... umm.. This is actually not normal for her. She's usually quite grateful whatever she gets. But I can see my future now as I told her to stay in bed. The "unfair" and "can't understand" comments are coming back to me now. Yes. This is my 6 year old teenager coming out. "Oh and by the way mom, your hair is a mess."

Quite right, she is. My hair was a mess but there was no need to get dolled up when I had a mountain of dishes to clean. Our dishwasher died and I refused to buy a new one until I know where the money is coming from. That was 6 weeks ago and I have yet to sit down and look at my budget... maybe this week right?

Jane is asleep now but Jack didn't make it to the toilet. I hear Ryan scrambling to find a towel to help clean up the puddle. I turned on the bath water and scooped him up. There he played until the water went cold. I sat and editted photos while he plunged each Octonaut toy into the water and placed it carefully along the edge of the bathtub.